The Otherside
by Maria Arnt
Summary: What happens when Saya sleeps? And what is to become of Diva's children? Postfinale continuation of the Blood story. Saya x Solomon, Saya x Haji, Diva x Solomon, basically all the original canon pairings, lol and some OC pairings
1. Chapter 1

Saya drifted in the familiar blackness. She knew this dark void well, and settled down for her long sleep, letting go of her regrets for leaving behind Kai, the twins, and the others.

It was the twins she worried about the most, but….

She couldn't make herself stay awake any longer, and knew that Kai, Julia, David, and all the others would give them better care than Diva, or even Saya herself had received.

Slowly she sank into the sable sleep, succumbing to its depths. She had just lost herself when she heard a small voice penetrating the abyss.

"Saya-nee-chan?" It came to her as if from far away, fuzzy and echoed. "Quick! I think she's waking up!" it went on.

"Shh, be patient…" another voice, deeper, softer, comforting and yet unsettling. "Saya?" the deeper voice began to clarify. She felt something—a hand around hers, soft and large. Soon after her other hand was clasped in small, slightly clammy fingers. Light pierced her dark cocoon, and she tried to close her eyes tighter against it.

"Yes, she's coming to," the deeper voice murmured. Saya felt hair brushed out of her face. "Saya?" the deeper voice called to her, pulling her away from the sweet darkness. "Try not to wake up too quickly."

Little pieces of her were coming together, faster and faster, and she fought against it, frightened. Sensations, smell—dusty and a little damp--touch—a soft cushion under her neck—sound—a tiny ticking far away—began to assault her all at once. She tried to push them away, they were unwelcoming and harsh. The large hand, which she somehow realized belonged to the deep voice, left her.

"Here, give her some of your blood quickly," the deep voice sounded strained.

"What's wrong with Nee-sama?" the small voice asked, scared.

"She's fighting it. It could be a good sign—if she takes your blood."

The smaller hand left her as well, and she was alone in her war for a terrifying, eternal moment. She heard a distant whimper, and then something warm and wet was pressed against her mouth. She latched on instinctually, like an infant to the teat. The blood flowed from her mouth through her body, to every inch of her, and it calmed the roar of her senses. The blood floated all the little pieces to the right places easily, putting the puzzle all together until suddenly she was solid.

Her eyes shot open, and she gasped at the bright light. The wrist was wrenched away, and a large hand came down over her eyes. She struggled, terrified.

"Saya, calm down. Your eyes won't have adjusted to the light."

This deeper voice seemed terribly familiar, though she couldn't put a name to it, and that scared her even more. She tried desperately to pry the fingers away.

"Nee-chan, it's ok," a small hand on her shoulder.

_I know this one…_ she stilled, trying to remember, wanting the small one. She reached out for the hand on her shoulder, and he gave it to her willingly.

"It's ok, Saya, it's just us," the voice continued.

"Who are you? Who's there?" her voice was groggy and cracked, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.

Ever so slowly, the hand on her eyes lifted, the bright light seeping in, and her eyes obeyed her and adjusted. She could see, but everything was blurry. There were two figures, a small one with brown hair, wearing black. The other wore a light color, and was larger, and had light hair. She focused on the small one, he was the one she had recognized. She blinked, and squinted, and tried to raise her hand to touch him. Her hand was strangely heavy, but he took it up anyway. Focus came to her, a little at a time. The face that swam into her vision was instantly known.

"Riku?" she murmured, and the boy grinned, nodding. She was confused, he shouldn't be here, but she wasn't sure why. She turned to the other figure and when she could see him it all came together.

"_Solomon???_" she gasped, frightened and confused and suddenly she could remember everything, everything, and what was Riku doing here? He was supposed to be dead and… "What are you doing here? Where am I?" She tried to sit up but couldn't, and Solomon prevented her from trying again.

"Just rest a little more, Saya. You're weak from the transition. What do you remember?"

She groaned. "Everything."

He paused a moment. "I see." He stood up, the bed lifting from the lack of his weight. He walked over to a desk and stared at a few papers scattered on it for a moment, facing away from them. "I'm sure you have many questions, as do we, but for now I suggest you sleep a while. Your body needs to adjust to this place."

Saya turned her head to try and look at her sister's chevalier. "Where is this place?" she asked, despite his advice.

"It's called the Otherside. It's where queens go when they sleep." He murmured.

"But… but I've never been here before, and…" she protested.

Riku hushed her, fluffing her pillow and making sure the covers were alright. "We'll explain it all later, ok?" he said, sounding very grown up.

She smiled at him a little—she had missed him. "Alright…" She felt the pull of sleep, normal sleep, and after her struggle she felt very inclined to give in. She closed her eyes, and heard the door to the room open and close softly. Riku remained at her side and watched over her, a familiar presence once again.

_AN: I am writing a Solomon x Saya story. Wtf is wrong with me???? Lol. Normally I am a very Solomon x Diva kind of girl (seeing as I highly relate to Diva and Solomon is pretty much my husband's anime incarnation) but I tend to like writing fanfics which actually fit the canon story. The exception is when I begin to write before a story is over, like Eternity. _

_Still, I am a HUGE Blood + fan, I've already got it all figured out how my hubby, my good friend, and I are all going to cosplay as Solomon, Nathan, and Diva respectively. We even joke about the two of them being my chevaliers as it is! (Hubby doesn't mind, my friend is VERY much like Nathan if you know what I mean)._

_So enjoy! There is far too little Blood + fan fiction if you ask me!_


	2. Chapter 2

When she awoke she found Riku curled up next to her, sleeping. She thought it cute, until it struck her that he was unable to sleep ever since….

He seemed to sense her stirring, and woke himself. He rubbed his eyes, and stared at her. "Saya?"

"Mm…" she muttered, still half-asleep.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

She sat up, having no difficulty in doing so. "Yeah, I think so…" She looked around the room. She had thought it very bright before, but now realized it was rather dim. "Where's Solomon?" she mused.

"He's outside somewhere. Listen, nee-chan, I'm not sure I totally understand what happened with between you two, but he's here for a reason. Try to trust him, he's very devoted to you. I think he was hurt that you weren't happy to see him."

Saya blinked rapidly. She had never had time to sort out how she felt about him. After that fight with James he had just sort of disappeared. She'd been surprised that he hadn't shown up at the Metro Opera House that horrible night… but perhaps that was for the best. She was about to ask Riku another question when her stomach made an awful noise.

She blushed profusely and Riku giggled. "Hungry?" he asked.

She nodded and made to get out of bed, when she suddenly realized she wasn't wearing anything. She blushed even deeper and grabbed the sheets to cover herself. _Why is it when I wake up around Solomon I'm always naked? _She wondered cynically.

Riku tried not to smile. "It's ok—it's just me."

She stared at him. "But you…."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He seemed very grown up all of a sudden, and she was worried, though she didn't know why. He tugged on her hand, and she followed him out of bed, still clutching the sheet to herself.

"Stand in front of this armoire and think about what you want to wear." He said simply.

She wrapped the sheet around her and did so. "Ok… I'm thinking about it."

"Now open it!" he grinned.

She did so, and there hung a single outfit—the one she had been thinking of. She reached out to touch it, surprised that it was real. "But how…" she murmured.

Riku shrugged. "Solomon says reality is more malleable here," he quoted. "So there's a lot of things we can mess with."

She removed the outfit from its hangars, and he shifted a little. "I'll, uh… I'll be waiting outside." He turned and went through the door without another word.

Saya thought about him as he dressed. Once, before she even knew who she was, Riku had accidentally walked in on her taking a shower. She had been behind the curtain, and he hadn't seen anything, but he'd been so embarrassed he couldn't look at her for a week without blushing. What had changed?

The answer came to her suddenly, and it made her heart heavy. The twins—that's right. They were Diva's children—and Riku's. She had avoided thinking about it, but she knew what must have happened. Fortunately it seemed that Riku had moved on and adjusted after he'd…. But Riku had _died,_ she recalled. What on earth was going on?

She finished dressing, and stepped outside, taking a long look at Riku. "Have you gotten taller?" she mused.

He nodded. "A whole inch," he said proudly.

She frowned. "But…"

He shook his head. "Later. Look." He pointed out past the balcony they stood on, out to the glittering ocean.

Saya gasped. It looked like the view from the Otonashi tomb in Okinawa, but it was different. The sea and the sky were so blue, it almost hurt to look at them. Everything was so intense, flowers blooming everywhere and the wind blowing at the perfect temperature.

"It's… beautiful…" she murmured.

Riku joined her at the balcony edge. "Yeah. Solomon made it, and I helped him."

She ruffled his hair affectionately, which made him frown. "Thanks, nii-kun."

He began to protest, but Saya's stomach began to rumble again. Riku grabbed her hand and pulled. "Come on, let's go get some food."

She laughed and followed him down a flight of stairs. They then stepped inside again, walked down a large open hallway and through a pair of double doors on their left. Inside was what looked like a café, but the only person in it was Solomon. He sat next to the window, staring out of it pensively. He turned to them when they entered, smiling and standing up.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Good. I thought you'd be hungry when you woke up. Please, sit down." He gestured to the seat across from him. She sat, and Riku helped her push her chair in. She felt a little awkward being attended on, but didn't comment. Solomon took his seat again, and Riku chose the one next to her.

"Now, I know you have a lot of questions, and we will answer all of them as best we can, but it will be easier for us to explain things to you if you fill in our blanks first." He began politely.

She nodded.

"What became of you and Diva?" he posed this one carefully, and didn't appear that he really wanted to know.

"We… fought. In the end we ran each other through. Her blood had become impotent after she gave birth, but mine…." she trailed off. She had been so upset, that Diva had gone on without her. She felt almost guilty about it, in Solomon's presence.

He nodded. "I see. It was bound to happen, eventually."

She frowned. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

He sighed. "Throughout time you and Diva have been seen by humans as tools to gain power. While Diva was used by those who wanted power, you were used only by those who wished to stop that power. The people you were surrounded with cared for you deeply. Diva was not always so lucky. In the end, it is the support you had that determined the outcome."

Saya thought about that a moment. "Oh," was the only response she could think of. She knew that Solomon had said he would kill Diva for her, but she had seen the hurt in his eyes when she told him that was her wish. Whatever affections he claimed to have for her, Saya suspected Solomon was still attached to Diva in some way. She couldn't really blame him.

Riku cleared his throat a little. "Uh… what happened, that is… what about the… the um, the children?" he spoke very quietly.

Saya blanched. _His _children, she knew, and she had almost…. "When I went to sleep they were doing fine. Growing very quickly, little toddlers by now. Julia and Kai are sure to take good care of them."

Riku grinned. "How is everybody?"

Saya smiled back. "Great. Julia and David got married—they're going to have a baby soon. And Kai's doing well. He took me up to sleep, I didn't want the others to know. Lulu… you wouldn't know Lulu," she turned to Solomon, "But she's still alive and doing well."

Solomon smiled and nodded conversationally.

Saya stared down at the table. "Pretty much everybody lived, on my side."

There was a moment of silence, during which a man came out from behind the counter with a platter of food. Surprisingly, it wasn't all for Saya. She got her favorite—boiled eggs and salmon roe. A plate of onigiri was placed in front of Riku, and Solomon graciously received a chicken dish with green beans and yellow peppers. Riku began to devour his immediately, and Saya just stared at him.

Solomon chuckled, beginning to cut up his chicken. "Just a few more questions and then I'll explain."

Saya nodded and began to eat her eggs.

"Whatever became of my brothers?" Solomon asked with a small smile.

Saya poked a piece of roe around her plate. "Well… when Diva died… Nathan… he asked me to kill him. He said this was his exit, and he didn't want to fight me."

Solomon smiled wider. "That sounds like Nathan. And Amshel?" He sounded very concerned about the last.

Saya nodded. "Haji…" but she stopped suddenly, her eyes welling up with tears. "I gave my sword to Haji… and Haji killed Amshel. But…" a single fat tear slid down her face. Solomon frowned, and Riku stopped eating his onigiri to place a hand on her arm. She continued though. "Amshel pinned him to the spot, and I had to leave with the twins because the American government was going to bomb the place…. Haji… Haji died…" she sobbed out the last.

Solomon and Riku stared at each other. "Saya-nee-chan, I don't think Haji's dead."

Saya tried to wipe away her tears, looking down at her little brother. "W-why Riku?"

He glanced at Solomon before answering. "Because he's not here."

That stopped her crying, suddenly. She looked from Riku to Solomon, confused.

"And now I think it is time for us to answer your questions. This place, the Otherside, is where queens go when they sleep. But they can only go here after one of their faithful Chevaliers dies, for it is the fallen Chevaliers' duty to maintain it. It is, I suppose, our reward. We eat, sleep, and can change ourselves and our surroundings." Solomon explained, examining a green bean on his fork.

"Which is why I've grown," Riku interjected.

"Diva spoke of it often upon waking. You see, this is how she maintained her memory from wakening to wakening. She spent her thirty year slumber with only those Chevaliers who had died within her favor."

Saya shuddered a little. "I don't envy her thirty-year vacations with Grigori Rasputin."

Solomon laughed full out, surprised by her response. "Yes, but he was very good at illusion and could become whoever she liked."

Saya took another bite of her eggs, thinking. "But you…"

He grinned. "I must admit I was surprised to find myself here. My suspicions were only confirmed when I found Riku—I knew I had not died in Diva's favor."

She frowned. "But… what happened? I didn't know you…"

He nodded. "When I fought with my brother James, you remember he took your sword?" She nodded. "When he dropped it, it nicked my shoulder, just here," he pointed to the inside of his left shoulder. "At the time it didn't bother me much, but by morning the whole of my left arm was crystallized, and I died shortly thereafter."

Saya put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, god… I'm sorry…"

He shrugged. "It's better here anyway. Even if you weren't aware of my death, I was honored to think that I was in your favor."

She blushed and returned to her eggs. She had been glad that Solomon wanted to help her, and she certainly wasn't going to stop him. She had been more than happy to have him as an ally, but as for his advances…. It had been so long since she had even thought about romance, and then there was Haji of course….

"So…You think Haji survived?" she asked. Her train of thought made sense to her, but to the others it seemed a little random.

"Yes…" Solomon set down his fork, finished with the chicken. "Your first Chevalier is a very resilient chiropteran…." He mused a moment, as if wondering if he should say something. "I was once ordered by Diva to destroy one of her delinquent chevaliers. I of course did not have access to your blood, and so it was a difficult feat. In the end, we discovered it was possible to kill a chevalier by draining his blood and putting him in a position where his wounds will remain open and unable to heal."

Saya gasped quietly.

Solomon tilted his head a little, his eyebrows raised. "It is very uncomfortable, I assure you."

Saya blinked. "You…"

He nodded. "My punishment for appealing to you. Fortunately Nathan thought it would be interesting to 'introduce a plot twist' and let me go."

Saya smiled. "I think he was a good person, considering."

Solomon nodded. "He was probably Diva's best. But as I was saying, short of using your blood, this is the only way to kill a chevalier. However, when we fought at the Zoo, I placed Haji in such a situation. Not only did he live, but he escaped from it without assistance. So I think he is capable of surviving just about anything."

She shuddered. "I never did understand why you two fought so hard."

Solomon stared into his ice water. "I suppose Jealousy is too easy an answer. We had a disagreement as to how best to serve you."

Saya nodded, understanding.

"Whatever became of his promise?" he mused quietly, sipping the water.

She gasped. "How did you know?"

"I guessed," he said with a shrug. Something about the way he looked at you, like you were the most wonderful and painful thing at the same time. I knew what he felt, because I had felt it as well."

Saya laughed a little. "Well, you would be proud of him. He disobeyed me. He wasn't going to, until Kai punched him in his face and demanded that Haji follow his own wishes."

Both Solomon and Riku laughed at that.

"He refused to kill me, or to let me kill the babies…" she trailed off a little. "And then he kissed me." She whispered the last, remembering.

Solomon got very quiet.

Riku, always the one to make things comfortable, turned to Saya with a small smile. "What are the children like? Do they look like me?"

She smiled at his ability to adjust to the situation. "Well, they were still a little young to say when I left. Mostly they look like Diva and me, but I think Irene has your nose."

He tilted his head. "Irene?"

She nodded. "We named the one with blue eyes Julia, because she knew about them first and had been caring for them the longest. The one with brown eyes we named Irene, after a friend of Kai's who helped us form important alliances."

Solomon nodded. "The Schif?" he asked.

"Right. Kai was… he was very fond of her, and Lulu, also one of the Schif, said it would be a good idea because even when she was gone they would be remembered."

Riku nodded. "That makes sense. How is Kai-nii-chan?" he asked excitedly. "Did he end up with Jahana?"

Saya laughed. "Well… you know Jahana, she doesn't play second fiddle to anyone. She's gotten really involved with journalism, I think she means to make it her career. Sometimes she acts like she's going out with Okamura, but I think she's just trying to make Kai jealous."

They laughed.

"Kai's doing really well, actually. He reopened the Omoro, like you wanted."

Riku grinned. "Really?"

As Saya and Riku chatted, Solomon excused himself quietly and left. Saya noticed, but didn't know what she should say. After she had caught Riku up with all the goings-on in Okinawa, though, she wondered if she should have stopped him.

Riku frowned a little at her question. "Solomon… he's a good person, nee-chan. When he found me here I was…" he looked out the window. "I'd been here for a while, and I'd been scared. My fears had turned this place into a nightmare. He helped me learn how to control it, although he was just learning himself. He helped me figure things out, and took care of me really. We talked a lot before you showed up, and he had been really excited to see you. Honestly I think he's got a crush on you." He looked back at her with a mischievous grin.

Saya blushed, and suppressed a smile. "Well… he did propose to me once," she admitted.

His eyes widened. "Wow! He must really love you!"

She smiled sadly, wishing that things were as simple as Riku made it sound. He studied her a moment longer, his grin softening to a pensive stare.

"You don't love him, do you?"

She shook her head. "Not like he wants me to. Riku…" she didn't want to upset him, but it was the only way she knew how to explain it. "What happened between you and Diva…. It would be the same thing."

Riku stared down at the white table cloth. "It's the only way, isn't it? That's what Solomon said when he explained it to me. He said she just wanted to have children, and I could understand that…."

Saya studied her chevalier and little brother. He'd been through so much, and it seemed wrong that he was so matured, but in a small way she was glad he could understand.

He turned to her. "It wouldn't be like that here, not if you didn't want it to," he argued.

"That's true, but…"

Riku grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Saya, you're going to be here for the next 30 years. Can you at least be friends with him?"

She frowned. "Of course we can be friends, I never said…"

"When you woke up and saw him, you looked afraid of him, and you acted like he was the last person you wanted to see in the whole world."

Saya put a hand to her mouth. "I didn't mean it that way."

Riku smiled a little. "I know, but you have to let him know that.

"Oh."

He shoved her a little, playfully, towards the door. "Go talk to him, ok?"

She laughed at his antics. "Alright, alright. I'll try to talk to him."

_AN: So, as you can see I'm focusing on what's going on in the Otherside right now, but pretty soon I'm going to start writing what's happening with Julia and Irene too! I think it would be pretty interesting to see what's going on in the real world as well._

_Lol, as you might have noticed, I have no freaking clue what the photographer's name is. Or how you're supposed to spell Amshel's name, or whatever. I would highly appreciate anyone who can tell me the answers to these burning questions! Lol._


	3. Chapter 3

It took Saya some time to find Solomon, mostly because she didn't know her way around the place. She had wandered through a ballroom, and a swimming pool, and even an arcade—that would be Riku's, she reasoned—until she finally found him on a shaded patio. The sun was setting, and he was half-sitting on the balcony staring at the sea. The view looked different here—the foliage was less tropical, she noted, and she wondered where it was based off. He held a glass of merlot in his hand, smelling it carefully before taking a sip.

"It seems strange, after so long, to actually taste the wine," he mused. She was startled—she didn't realize he knew she was there.

"I suppose so," she answered awkwardly, and walked to sit on the balcony near him. They were quiet a moment, and Saya began to feel more and more uncomfortable. "Solomon…" she said quietly, and he looked to her, listening.

"I feel I may have given the wrong impression when I woke up. I wasn't unhappy to see you, just surprised, and confused."

Solomon nodded. "I understand. For a long time you saw me as an enemy, it would only be natural for you to react negatively."

She shook her head. "You were a friend the last I saw you, and it was rude of me."

He smiled a little. "If you insist on being guilty I suppose I can forgive you," he said, his mood lightening, and she smiled as well.

She stared at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. How was she supposed to tell him? What should she say? "Solomon, I…"

He set down his glass. "Riku told you to talk to me, didn't he?" he concluded quietly.

Saya let out the breath she'd been holding. "Yes."

"He's a very kind boy."

She nodded. "You two seem to get along very well," she said, glad of the change of subject.

He smiled bitterly and picked his glass up for a small sip. "We have something very important in common." He stared out at the lowering sun. "We were both used…and then discarded… by Diva."

Saya bit her lip. He sounded genuinely hurt, and although she knew her brother's side of the story, she had no knowledge of what had happened to Solomon.

"Would you like to know how I came to by Diva's Chevalier?" he asked.

She nodded. She had to admit she was curious.

He sighed deeply and settled down for a long story.

"In 1918, when I was twenty years old, I met Amshel. I had grown up witnessing the horror of what would become known as the First World War—the death toll was unlike anything the world had ever seen, and the survivors weren't much better off. It was this gruesome reality that encouraged me to become a doctor. Amshel was a professor at the university I attended, and he took interest in my abilities. He helped me through medical school in a scant two years, and said he would help me establish a practice. But he had other plans.

"It was a strange conversation, but then we often spoke of unusual things. He had approached me as a peer, rather than a student, and I had been flattered. He said I was a modern man, and asked me what I thought of the scientific process. I rattled off some sort of text book answer, and he just smiled. 'Do you think,' he asked me, 'that it is appropriate for a scientist to become emotionally involved in his experiments?' I didn't know what he was talking about, so of course I said no. Then he told me of a creature he had discovered—very much like a human, who was close to immortal. He believed that he had found the key to immortality, but he wanted to study it more before he released any research on it. He had only one subject, and although he knew of another he didn't think he could acquire it. Therefore, he was motivated to see if his creature could reproduce. He had already tried a number of subjects unsuccessfully—mortal humans, I suppose—but he thought that he had figured out a way for it to work.

"Naturally, he argued, he couldn't do it himself, it was necessary for him to distance himself from the outcome of the experiment, but he wondered if I would be willing to participate. I said I would have to see her first, and he agreed. I was a young man, after all, these sort of things mattered. Now you must understand, the idea that non-Caucasians were not exactly human was not entirely dead, and so I wasn't expecting some sort of monster. When he showed me a portrait of her, I honestly thought that it was all because she was Asian.

"I agreed, mostly to please Amshel, and pleased he was. He told me I would meet her within a few weeks, he wasn't exactly sure when. At my confusion he began to explain everything about Chiropterans, and how Diva was asleep as she had been for the last 30 years, he even showed me her cocoon. It was at this point I became dubious as to what I had agreed to, and he said that it would be alright if I backed out, but to wait until I met her in person to decide."

He paused for a moment, taking a drink of his wine.

"The day she emerged from her cocoon is one I shall never forget. You had yet to kill Grigori, and he and Amshel were her only Chevaliers, so naturally she had no one to maintain the Otherside for her. As she lay there on the stone floor, staring up at with me with those incredible blue eyes, licking Amshel's cut hand eagerly, I was both horrified and mesmerized. She looked so innocent, because she remembered nothing. She was beautiful, far more beautiful than her portrait could even begin to express. And she _wanted _me, that much I could see clearly. Of course, she was probably more interested in me as a food source, but still…" He glanced amusedly at his wine. "As I said, I was a very young man. How could I possibly say no?"

He stared out at the sunset again, and Saya remained quiet, sensing that his story was not over. He took a few more sips of wine, and then continued.

"At first, it was heaven. In her innocence before she remembered her past, she was everything I'd dreamed of. She was kind, and inquisitive, loving. Even as she regained her memories and her personality I was blind to it. I had already made an image of her in my mind, my queen was benevolent and sweet, a girl who loved peace, and together we could find a way to end all the war and suffering in the world, as I had wanted to as a doctor. But I was deceived by Amshel, and Diva was as well. He doted on her, spoiled her really, but he only saw her as a tool to gain power. He was more than willing to use her and her blood to wage war and many other unspeakable things so that he could benefit. His problem, I believe, was when he was born. He came from a time when science was being born, before ethics had gotten in the way of progress. Chevaliers do not change, they become only more of who they were as humans, and so he continued on his sick experiment. But I wasn't aware of this until the very end. I was too in love with Diva to see anything else."

Saya fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "Were you and Diva happy?" she asked, honestly curious about their relationship and why he had chosen her over Diva if it was so strong.

He nodded. "At first. I'm sure you're aware that young chevaliers go through a stage where they think of absolutely nothing but their queen. When she regained her memories—supplied by Amshel—she became her usual self. She was fickle, and at times spiteful, but at the time never towards me. She called me her favorite, and was very happy with me. She wanted to have children as much as Amshel wanted her to—although I don't think she knew why he encouraged her so. It certainly wasn't for her own happiness. She was awake for four, wonderful, blissful years. She had shown no signs of pregnancy, but Amshel argued that we didn't know the gestation period, that if anything had happened we would know when she awoke. Thus began the long wait."

Saya studied him. "It must be hard, to wait that long, especially if you're expecting something from it," she tried to be compassionate. Haji had never spoken of it.

He nodded. "I threw myself into my work. We started Cinque Flesches then, although not by that name, and at the time it was really about pharmaceuticals. We had the time and stamina to study them intensely, and we got in on the ground level of what was to become one of the world's most important industries. But… when Diva awoke, nothing could console me. Not only was she not pregnant, she didn't even remember me. You must understand, it was more than an experiment to me. She was… she was like my wife, and I had wanted children with her so badly. Even when she regained her memories, she did not have the same affection for me. We all knew it wasn't going to work, and I came to realize that was my only purpose to her. It hurt me deeply. I saw her then as she really was, but I still loved her.

"She began to take other Chevaliers, first Karl, to try for children again. Then James, as a last chance, and Nathan, just for fun. Amshel was surprised, to be sure—she hadn't told him about Nathan, she'd done it on a whim. After Grigori died she never lost her memories again, of course, and I felt her slipping further and further away. Still, I maintained some sort of hope that her behavior was only because she was disappointed about the children, and once she had them she would love me again. Of course I was wrong. I had only been the flavor of the decade.

"I continued to work hard on Cinq Flesches, holding up the legitimate end of things. Amshel devoured the new technology that came about, always using it for the same purpose, to learn everything and anything about Diva and her blood. I also watched out for my brothers, who had gone through the same heart-wrenching experience I had, except for Nathan. Karl, of course, simply re-routed his obsession to killing you. James followed a similar path, although he was always in denial that Diva didn't love him. He thought to kill you so she would be proud of him. But it was all the same thing.

"It was while I was monitoring Karl—he was becoming dangerously noticeable with his bad habits—that I met you. Imagine my surprise when I saw a girl who looked so much like Diva but was so different. In you, to my utter disbelief, I discovered all those qualities which I had hoped to find in Diva."

He brushed her cheek with his fingers, and she didn't flinch away. "You are kind, Saya. You are loyal and caring. You wished only for peace. And then…" he dropped his hand suddenly, afraid he had said too much.

She understood, though. He'd wanted children, it only made sense. "I see." She was quiet a moment. It seemed that now her task was even more difficult. "Solomon, please understand, I really do appreciate your feelings…" she began.

"If you think I love you just because of your resemblance to Diva, you're wrong. I never loved Diva for who she was—just who I thought she was," he explained quickly.

She shook her head. "It's not that." She sighed heavily, and looked out over the ocean. "Maybe… if Haji wasn't still alive…"

She heard him stiffen, and she knew she had hurt him, and that hurt her. She turned to him, taking his hands. "Please, please understand…"

He stared down at her hands. "I do understand. I… I envy him, to have such favor with his queen. But Saya," he looked up at her, a pained hope still in his eyes. "He will be there when you wake up. He can have you waking, I don't mind. It's only fair. But please… while you are here… at least give me a chance."

She frowned. "But that's…"

He shook his head. "You are not human, Saya. You are not expected to be faithful to just one man. It's not the same."

She thought about that for a long moment. "I don't know…"

He sighed. "Do you remember the dance party? At Karl's lycee in Vietnam?"

She smiled a little. "Yes, of course."

"Could you have loved me then, before we knew each other? Before… everything?"

She bit her lip, remembering. The way he had held her when they danced, it was like something out of her dreams. All the girls had been gawking at him—she could hardly believe she was so lucky. He was kind, and handsome, and she…. She giggled. She had been so taken with him she'd let her mouth hang open, she was sure of it.

"Yes," she murmured. "I think I could have."

He smiled a little. "All I ask, Saya, is for another chance. Look." He lifted his glass in the direction of the sunset, and she turned to see.

The sun had sunk so it almost touched the horizon, and as it kissed the glassy surface of the water the sea was illuminated with it's red light. She gasped at how beautiful it was. Solomon leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"I promised you I would show you these things. I can't show you the world, not really, but I can try to make you happy. All I ask is that you let me love you…"

Saya sighed. Was it really such a problem? "Alright, Solomon. We'll see."

She heard him exhale, and somehow felt guilty that she had caused him so much trouble. She watched the sun sink into the ocean, and found herself wondering.

"Do you ever wonder what Diva might have been like if she had been raised with me?"

"Yes, I often wondered that."

She smiled a little, and turned to Solomon. "At least Julia and Irene will get that chance, right?"

He smiled too. "Yes."

_AN: Poor Solomon, he's had a hard time of it. I spent forever studying the timeline on Wikipedia, it's kind of confusing, so I did my best. When I saw it for the first time, I somehow missed Solomon actually say it was towards the end of WWI, I just saw that his suit looked Southern Civil war era, (very Colonel Sanders, lol) so I had to totally rewrite it when I found out that was wrong!!! Arg. Btw, that's episode 40, one of my all time favorites, when we get to see Solomon's transformation. So cool!_

_Next up, a little glimpse into the life of Julia and Irene. _


	4. Chapter 4

Kai looked up from his newspaper—it was two days old, but this was the first chance he had to read since then. The twins were finally asleep, at least they had been a moment ago. Now one of them was crying—Irene, he'd have to guess. Julia rarely cried unless it got her something. He stormed down the hallway, half worried and half upset. He opened the door to what used to be his brother's room, and surveyed the carnage. Stuffed animals had become projectiles, some being damaged in the process. They were not allowed to fight each other touching, and this had been their outlet. At first he thought Irene cried because of the damaged stuffed animal, but that did not explain Julia's triumphant pout.

"What's going on, you two?" he demanded.

Two nearly identical faces looked down at him. Originally they were to have bunk beds, but when they couldn't come to an agreement as to who got the prized upper bunk, he'd lofted two beds dorm-style and put their desks below.

"Julia says mama doesn't love me!" Irene sniffled, pointing accusatorily at her sister.

"Well it's true," she hissed.

"Julia! Your mother loved you—BOTH—very much, now cut out this nonsense."

"But she won't sing to me, she only sings for Julia when she sleeps," Irene continued to sob.

"What?"

Julia glared at Irene. "You said you wouldn't tell!" she whined, and threw another stuffed animal at her sister. Kai made a note not to give in the next time she begged for one.

"Julia, you have dreams about your mother?"

The six-year-old girl sighed heavily, seeming much older. "Yes," she admitted.

"What does she sing to you?"

Her face lit up in that odd, ethereal way Kai would never really get used to.

"It's this really pretty song… like from an opera or something. I can't ever remember it when I wake up, though," she mused.

Kai felt the pit of his stomach freeze in fear. While Irene had taken after Saya—adorably so—Julia was, without a doubt, her mother's daughter. The 'dominant queen,' Joel called her, and that she was. For the moment their behavior fell neatly into the normal psychological patterns of twins—extremely close but for the occasional spat—every day Julia aged, she resembled Diva closer and closer, and it unsettled them all. She seemed to sense it, too. She was a smart child, and a bit of a rebel, but she was always trying to please them, as if she feared they would stop loving her.

Which he certainly wouldn't, Kai reasoned. Even if she was Diva's daughter, she was also Riku's.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Julia. It's probably just something your mind made up."

Irene brightened at that, but Julia looked doubtful. "Why did she leave us?" she asked.

Kai cringed. He was surprised the question hadn't come up sooner. "She didn't leave, honey, she died. You know that."

"How?" Irene asked innocently.

Kai sighed deeply. He'd been instructed to wait until they matured before the whole story was told—for now it was most important that they grow up in a loving, as normal as possible, home.

"Well, you know how we're always telling you that you shouldn't ever touch each other's blood, just to be safe?"

They both nodded diligently.

"Well… your mom messed up, and it made her sick." It was a good sight nicer than telling them their aunt ran her through with a sword, but still somewhat true.

They gasped, and he mentally patted himself on the back for turning it into a lesson. He looked at their wide eyes. And probably giving them nightmares. Great. "Now go to sleep, you have piano lessons tomorrow," he warned.

Irene smiled and burrowed into her covers obediently, Julia just groaned and flopped back onto the bed.

Kai closed the door softly and leaned against it. Well, he supposed he should file another report to Red Shield… but that could wait until morning. For now he could use a good drink and then a full night's sleep.

_AN Oooh, am I gonna have fun with these two! I don't know if there will be a definite pattern to the chapters, but I'll flip back and forth between the real world and the Otherside from here on. Tell me what you think, you know I love those comments!!!_

_OMG I am SO PSYCHED!!! Cartoon network is showing Blood + in English starting this Saturday!!! (March 10) SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Now we'll have lots of fanfic coming in, don't you think?_


	5. Chapter 5

Saya quickly became accustomed to the Otherside. She rather enjoyed a reality she could control, although it was the little things that delighted her the most. Despite her already considerable power, she had always been fascinated with the concept of telekinesis. She and Riku had spent hours staring at spoons, and eventually, they bent. Solomon found it terribly amusing. The three of them had all seen the Matrix, and it only took a mention of "there is no spoon" for them to burst into uncontrollable giggles. Of course it was true, but that was why it was funny.

She also found creating outfits terribly fun. Anything she imagined would appear in her armoire, and it gave her a creative outlet. Solomon suggested she take up fashion design, but she just laughed. She recalled the dresses she had worn when she was truly young, and one morning she managed to recreate one of her favorites. With a little thought she managed to make her hair long—Solomon had tried to convince her she could do this in the real world, but she wasn't so sure. Nonetheless, she wanted to surprise him. She snuck up behind him on one of the terraces—a difficult thing to do, mind you—and covered his eyes.

"Guess who!" she giggled.

She felt Solomon smile. "Hmmmm…. That's hard…. Riku?" The game was pointless since there were only the three of them, and he was indulging her as he often did.

"No, silly!" she let go of him. "It's me!"

He turned around with a smile, but gasped so quickly he choked. She put a concerned hand on his arm as he fought to regain his breath.

"Are you alright?" she asked, very worried.

He nodded, and managed to stop coughing. "You… surprised me, that's all."

She frowned a little. "How?"

He paused a moment, clearing his throat. "I was not aware how very closely you resemble your sister, that's all."

Saya's eyes widened. "You thought I was Diva?"

He nodded. "Only for a moment. Your eyes… they set you apart."

She bit her lip. "I'll change it if you want," she offered.

He shook his head. "It looks very nice on you," he fingered a lock of her brown-black hair. He saw now that it was not quite the same shade as Diva's, either. He looked at the dress. "And Diva _never _wore pink." He smiled.

Saya gasped, mock offended. "It's my favorite color!"

He laughed. "That's probably why she hated it so much."

She laughed with him. Over the last few years they had become comfortable with the memory of Diva. She was no threat to them now, and Solomon reasoned it was best to remember her better qualities. Riku had shown some curiosity in hearing about her, and Saya and Solomon had a sort of unspoken agreement that he didn't really need to know the worst of it. He'd already learned the grim facts from Red Shield, anyway.

"So what shall we do today?" she asked. It was surprisingly difficult to avoid monotony in the Otherside, because while they could imagine other people you couldn't really hold a conversation with them.

He took a hold of her hand affectionately, and she let him. "Well, since you're all dressed up, how about a ball?"

She smiled a little, thinking. She wasn't one for decadent entertainments, but it might be fun. "Let's ask Riku," she suggested.

Riku, of course, was open to the idea. Saya got the impression that he'd do anything she suggested, short of dressing him in drag. It unsettled her a little, and she wondered if he would outgrow it in time. He resembled a young teenager now, and he seemed to enjoy the company of their imaginary companions. She had once found him talking to one that closely resembled her friend Kaori. She didn't talk much, of course, but Riku found plenty of things to tell her. Saya decided it was best not to make fun of him for it. He may have a crush on her best friend, but he was definitely lonely. Not that she spent all of her time with Solomon, she figured he just wanted company his own age.

So, they had a ball. There was some disagreement as to what kind of ball it should be, Saya voting for something traditional and civil-war era, Solomon wishing for a 40's-esque soiree, and Riku wanting something like a high-school prom. They finally agreed they could do a combination of the three—it wasn't as if their guests would notice.

It was during a foxtrot that she and Solomon began to talk. It wasn't as easy as a waltz for her, but the music was quiet enough to talk over. They glanced over at Riku, checking his progress.

"I think he's getting it," Saya said hopefully.

Solomon chuckled. "Yes, it seems he's chosen a partner who can lead," he pointed out.

They laughed as Riku's imaginary friend calmly showed him how he had messed up.

"We should play something modern next," she said, and they worked their way to where he was dancing.

"Riku, you can pick the next song," Saya called to him.

He grinned. "'K!" He gave up on dancing and walked to the "DJ," which was really just an easier way to keep the songs in order. If they all wished for a different song at the same time, who knew what mess would result.

As the foxtrot ended, the slow thumping beat of a modern song began, and Saya laughed.

"What?" Solomon asked.

"It's a slow dance!" she giggled, and shot Riku a mock death glare. He just grinned, his arms wrapped around an attractive looking girl.

Fortunately for Saya, Solomon appeared to know this dance as well. His hands found her hips and his feet began a slow, unmarked shuffle.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Did you dance often?" she wondered out loud.

"Yes I did, actually. It's a favorite hobby of mine. Although, I don't think I ever had the pleasure of sharing this _particular_ dance with anyone half so pretty as you."

Saya blushed at the compliment, unsure what to say. She listened to the words of the song they were dancing to.

"If I never knew you  
I'd be safe but half as real  
Never knowing I could feel  
A love so strong and true

I'm so grateful to you  
I'd have lived my whole life through  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you

I thought our love would be so beautiful  
Somehow we'd make the whole world bright  
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong  
all they'd leave us were these whispers in the night  
But still my heart is saying we were right…"

Saya watched Solomon's face carefully. The song made her think of him, but she felt torn. She suddenly felt guilty for being there in his arms, when Haji…. She mentally shook her head. She didn't want Haji to be here with her—simply because it would mean he was dead. She knew he was out there somewhere, waiting for her, and eventually she would return to him. But for now…. Was it really so bad to love Solomon, too?

In that instant she realized that she really did feel something for him. She'd been fighting it all along, for different reasons, but it was still there. She remembered when he had proposed to her. He had almost kissed her, and she'd almost let him. There had been a moment, before she slapped him, that she didn't want to fight it.

She took a step closer to him unconsciously, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter. She bit her lip a little, and her eyes wandered down to his lips. Would he still kiss her? He had held back, on her request, but she was too nervous to be forward. She inched closer, and he noticed.

Was he dreaming? He could swear she looked like she wanted to kiss him. She was staring at his mouth, her eyes glazed and her cheeks slightly flushed. As she unknowingly licked her lips, his reserve broke a little and he took a risk.

He kissed her.

Her head swam, and she felt a little overwhelmed. Maybe what she was doing wasn't right, but it didn't feel wrong either. They both sighed deeply, as if they'd been holding their breath.

Maybe, just maybe, this could work….

Once they broke the kiss, Saya was once again shy. She leaned her head on his shoulder, trying not to think. The song was coming to an end, though.

"What shall we play next?" Solomon asked quietly.

Saya lifted her head. "Uh… I don't know…" she blushed again, and he smiled.

"How about a tango?"

She flustered. "I couldn't! I don't know how!"

He grinned. "You don't have to know. Just trust me and let me lead." He held out his hand for the traditional stance.

She bit her lip, hesitatingly, but then she smiled and took his hand.

From the other end of the dance floor, Riku smiled.

_AN: Yes, I am a cheeseball. And, as you will soon discover, a lyric junkie. There will be lots more songs to come. But for now, I have an excuse!_

_I figure that Riku's only exposure to slow dance music would be Disney, ok???? Lol._

_Anyway, this chapter goes out to all of you who begged me to make this a Solomon-Saya story. It's a little weird for me to write because my inner Diva is having a hissy fit about the whole situation, but for now, it's fun._

_In the words of Betty Everett: "If you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss" My iTunes has a mind of it's own…._


	6. Chapter 6

Kai hesitantly answered the door. It was 8:00, and he hadn't managed to get the twins ready for bed yet. Upon opening the door he was faced with a tall, cloaked figure. A hand reached out from the dark folds, and all the hairs on the back of Kai's neck stood on end. He knew Chiropteran flesh when he saw it. The hand was a dark red color, with elongated fingers that had wicked-looking points on the knuckles. He would have panicked if he had not seen what the hand held: A pink rose tied with a blue ribbon.

He knew that rose, a similar one was left every week on the steps of the Otonashi mausoleum where Saya lay sleeping. He had always known Haji was alive because of this.

"Haji?" Kai asked hesitantly.

"Yes." His voice was hoarse, laced with that odd undertone he had heard in Diva's chevaliers when transformed.

"C-come in!" Kai stuttered, moving out of his way and pulling out a chair from one of the tables.

Haji limped over to the chair and sat down. Kai was a little surprised, he had half expected Haji to remain standing, but from the way he walked he seemed to need the relief.

"How are you?" Kai asked, sitting opposite him, knowing he couldn't offer his sister's chevalier a drink or some food.

Haji sort of cleared his throat. "I will survive."

Kai laughed at that, it was just the thing Haji would say, and in that flat voice, too. He suddenly realized that he had missed the man.

"How bad is it?" he asked, knowing Haji wouldn't conceal his face from Kai without a reason. In answer, Haji simply reached up and pulled back his hood. One side of his face had managed to reform fine, but the other was taking it's time. The skin stretched tightly over the misshapen bones of his face, and his eye looked irritated and oddly wide.

Kai sat back, not frightened, but a little taken aback. "I take it there are other injuries as well?" he asked. After all, and atomic bomb wasn't easy to survive.

Haji nodded. "Mostly on my left side. It would appear that I will heal, though."

Kai nodded. "Well, that's good." He searched for words—conversation with Haji was always difficult due to his habitual stoicism.

Suddenly Julia ran into the room, halting instantly when she saw Haji, who was facing the door she came through.

There was a long, tense moment as the two chiropterans regarded each other, and Kai suddenly felt he might need to protect his niece because of her eerie resemblance to Diva, even though she was still young.

"Th-this is Julia," he stammered, standing up. "My niece. Saya's niece. Your niece, I guess," he rambled on, inching toward Julia as Haji never broke eye contact.

Julia gasped, and Kai turned to see her grinning.

"I know you!" she sounded delighted. "You're in the pictures of Auntie Saya and Daddy. Haji is your name."

"That's right," Haji stated, and Julia looked very pleased with herself. She walked over to him and held out her hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Haji."

Haji hesitated, and then held out his disfigured hand but did not take hers. "It is pleasant to meet you as well, Julia."

Julia stared wide eyed at the hand and took it with both of hers, studying it with her fingers. She seemed fascinated.

"You are not afraid of me," Haji more stated then asked.

Julia looked up and shook her head enthusiastically. "You kind of look like the things in my dreams." She glanced at Kai momentarily, she knew she wasn't supposed to tell anybody about the things she dreamed, but he just nodded.

"You look like your mother," Haji said distantly, and Julia nodded.

"People say that a lot."

The two of them looked at the doorway suddenly, obviously hearing something Kai couldn't pick up on. Julia leaned up to Haji and whispered. "It's Irene, my sister. Hang on a minute."

Haji nodded and watched as Julia scampered back through the doorway that connected the Omoro restaurant to their home. Although they whispered, Kai and Haji could easily hear what they were saying.

"Don't you want to meet Haji?"

"He looks scary."

"Nuh-uh. Don't you think he looks like the Phantom of the Opera?"

There was a long pause, and then Irene popped the top of her head around the corner before ducking back.

"Yeah, kinda. But backwards."

"He'll like you."

"Why?"

"You look like Auntie Saya."

Kai's eyebrows shot up but he refrained from comment as Irene slowly made her way across the room. He would have to tell Haji later that it wasn't him—Irene was painfully shy around new people. When she finally reached Haji, she studied him for a moment, and then held out her arms to him. Without hesitation he picked her up and held her in his lap, and she hugged him.

Kai shook his head, chuckling. "Well, as exciting as this all is, you two need to go to bed. It is _way _past your bedtime."

The twins let out a simultaneous sound, somewhere between a groan and wordless whining. Julia began to trudge back into the house, and Irene slid of Haji's lap to follow after. They let them get a head start, and Kai turned back to Haji.

"You have forgotten," Haji mused.

"What?" Kai was confused.

"You were afraid for Julia. You forgot that it was I—with your help—who convinced Saya to spare them. While Saya sleeps I will devote my life to protecting them. I would have come earlier, but…"

Kai held out a hand to silence him, and poked his head through the door quickly. He looked around and then sighed, seeing no one.

"How much do they know?" Haji asked perceptively.

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "Only enough to keep them safe. Practically nothing. Nothing about their mother."

Haji sat back in his chair. "When do you intend to tell them?"

"Red Shield has decided we should wait until they stop maturing."

"Sixteen," Haji answered the vagueness of Kai's answer.

Kai chuckled, surprised. "That soon, huh?"

Haji nodded. "I met Saya when she was 14. After two years, she stopped aging."

They stopped talking at the sound of feet pattering down the stairs, and Irene came to stand in the doorway.

"Haji…" she implored softly, "would you tell us a bedtime story?"

"Of course." He stood to make his way into the house, and Kai herded Irene up the stairs.

"Did you two brush your teeth?"

They cast him two identical too-wide grins, showing their freshly cleaned—and somewhat sharper than normal—teeth.

"Good." The four of them made their way down the hall, and Julia lagged to walk with Haji.

"Did you know my mommy?" she asked, hopeful.

"Not very well, no," Haji answered truthfully.

Julia stared down at her bare feet as the trod the carpet. "Oh."

"However, I know Saya better than anyone alive," he offered.

Irene lit up. "Oh boy, I bet you know all kinds of stories that uncle Kai has never told us!"

Haji's face lightened a little. He did, although most of them would not be of the bed-time variety. Still, he had good memories from before he was a chevalier, and as the girls climbed up into their beds he selected a favorite and sat on one of the desk chairs.

Kai leaned against the doorframe, equally interested in these new stories.

"Once, when Saya and I were very young, we went out to play at the beach. It began to rain and we were forced to find a place to hide, because the rain was very cold…"

Before long the girls were fast asleep, and Kai and Haji made their way back down to the kitchen.

"I don't think I've ever heard you speak so much in my whole life," Kai commented with a chuckle.

Haji didn't answer. After a long, not so uncomfortable pause, he spoke.

"So Red Shield still exists?"

Kai nodded. "Their new main mission is to protect the girls, and make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands."

Haji nodded.

Kai smiled. "You probably think that's redundant now that you're here, but there are other things."

Haji looked mildly interested, so Kai continued. "We infiltrated and searched all Cinque Flesche holdings, and since no one was left a good number of them hadn't been cleaned out. We discovered a great deal of information. Amshel, it seems, kept a similar diary to Joel's. Because of his… questionable experimentation, it contains a lot more about Diva and chiropterans in general. We only found it a couple of years ago, and we're still processing it, along with data collected from some of the research centers."

Haji soaked this in carefully and looked around the room.

"You could stay here if you want," Kai said suddenly. "I could use a little help with the girls—they're getting a little strong, if you know what I mean."

Haji nodded, and Kai continued. "I don't suppose you'll need a bedroom, but we have a couple to spare if you like. There's the master suite—I never moved in, since it was Dad's, and then there's Saya's old room."

"If you could place a comfortable chair in Saya's room I would be most grateful."

Kai nodded. He knew Haji didn't sleep, but he seemed to need to sit a lot, lately.

"I must go now," Haji stood to leave.

"Why?" Kai frowned.

Haji looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Because I am healing, I … hunger often. I must feed."

Kai balked inwardly. He forgot so often that Haji, Saya, and even the girls were really a sort of _vampire. _The girls received IV's weekly, much as Saya had done, but he knew from personal experience that live feeding worked just as well. Kai's surprise must have showed on his face, because Haji halted.

"I need only a little… they will not even know it happened."

Kai rolled up his sleeve a little and held his wrist out to Haji. "No need to go out."

Haji regarded him dubiously.

"Don't worry. It's not the first time I've given to the cause."

Haji glanced towards the upstairs, and Kai guessed his thoughts. "The girls have never had it live, I meant Riku."

Haji remembered of course, he had been there. He had been the one to recognize Riku's distress for what it was. He removed a thin, discreet dagger from his cloak and cut Kai's wrist crosswise, putting his mouth to it quickly to stop the sting. After a few awkward moments he pulled away, and Kai calmly walked to the sink to wash the wound. He stared at it carefully while he reached for the first aid kit under the sink.

"It won't need stitches," Haji said from across the room.

"Oh. Thanks." He selected a gauze pad, smeared some Neosporin on it and taped it onto his wrist. He replaced the kit and stood, staring at Haji's wounds.

"You know, I'm surprised you healed so much already," he mused. "It seems like just yesterday that Saya went to sleep."

Something in Haji's face twitched. He could not relate. Although he had lived a very long time, it always seemed like an eternity when Saya was sleeping. "7 years, 3 months, 9 days and 2 hours, approximately."

Kai frowned. "If you had escaped already why didn't you come to Saya? I'm sure she wouldn't care how bad you looked."

Haji shook his head. "I had not escaped. I simply felt it." He placed a hand to his chest, and Kai suddenly envied Haji his connection to Saya.

"I better get to bed. The girls have a bad habit of waking early."

Haji nodded, and Kai walked upstairs, thinking about Riku.

_AN: I started doing this as a flashback during another chapter, but it got so long I just made it it's own chapter. The good news is, the next chapter is already all planned out, so I should get it to you soon._

_I am updating all of the chapters because I noticed a good deal of typos and as an editor they annoy me terribly. I'm not sure how this will effect comments and the like, but I apologize for any inconvenience. _

_Here are some replies to reviews I haven't responded to:_

Hinata's Fox: _No, they're not going to meet up with Diva or any of the other chevaliers, but Julia may remember more than anyone thinks…._

Synthia: _I know my story doesn't have original characters yet, but give the twins some time to grow up and make friends!_

Wolfen Kahlon: _Just another thanks for your beautiful review! I felt so flattered and professional. Hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters._

Sangraal: _Don't worry: the only relationships involving OC's involve the twins and other OC's. I wouldn't Mary Sue any characterized cannon characters. At least not in the Blood+ universe… I tend to abuse Sesshomaru from InuYasha with Mary Sues._


	7. Chapter 7

Kai shifted uncomfortably on the metal folding chair, and glanced down at the recital program. As usual, Irene and Julia were among the last of the performers, ranged between students much older than themselves. This way, they didn't make the other young children look awful.

But they were anyway. Kai flinched as the girl who was currently singing punched a high note and hit it sharp. Only one more number before Irene was up. Fortunately it was one of the piano pieces, a duet between a boy and a girl. At least when you messed up on the piano, the keys you hit wrong weren't off key. Next to him, David's young son sighed heavily and Kai smiled in agreement. Beyond him was Doc—everybody called the older Julia that to help with the confusion because "the older Julia" wasn't very complimentary—and after that David. He sat stoically looking forward, as he always did, and Kai wondered if the man was tone-deaf.

Finally Irene shyly made her way from where the students sat and up onto the piano bench. She had chosen a complicated piano concerto, and while she missed a few notes here and there, there was something about her playing that made the other students' sound flat. _Dynamics_, Haji had said. _She hears not only the notes but how loud they should be, how they should _feel.

Haji now stood in the back of the recital room, leaning against the wall in a shadow. His appearance was taking slow years to mend, even with the copious amounts of blood Doc's clinic gave him. He felt much better, though, and didn't seem to mind the injuries very much. Kai supposed that after losing an arm this didn't much compare. Beyond that, he had taken advantage of Julia's comparison to the famed musician who supposedly hid in the French Opera Populare and advised her often on her singing.

Kai sighed, glad that the current student was passable, and tried not to be nervous. Julia had given up on piano. She would never be great, and she could play anything well enough to please herself, but her heart wasn't in it. After years of begging, Haji came up with a solution to her desire for voice lessons. There was a recording studio in the downtown area, and they arranged for a vocal teacher to teach her in one of the sound-proof studios. Red Shield had cleared her as safe, and as she had lost a slight portion of her hearing to a gas explosion when she was little, all of her high and super-low frequency hearing was gone.

Basically, she could only hear the normal portion of Julia's voice. Still, Red Shield had moved the location they were holding the last few remaining mice to Hokkaido, where they were sure not to hear her. No one knew how they would react to her voice—no one was willing to risk a test—but all bets were on it being bad. Because Haji could hear it, but was impervious to the effects, he could tell her when to pull back. He promised that she had learned to control it, and that she knew never to use it in public. He told her to "hide her true potential" much as the Phantom's Christine had. It was an odd relationship at best, but it seemed to fulfill Julia's craving for devotion.

However, this small event was her first time to sing outside that booth, and everyone except Haji, Irene, and Julia herself was nervous. Well, except maybe DJ, David's son, who simply sat next to Kai sighing every twenty seconds as if he was bored out of his mind. He had yet to be initiated into Red Shield—he was only 8, just a year younger than the girls—but David planned for him to inherit his position, thus his name, David James, which only furthered the confusion of double names. David, Julia, Joel—it was enough to make Kai's head spin.

At last Julia stepped up to a smattering of applause, and Kai prayed to what powers may be that her debut would go much, much better than her mother's.

Julia reached up to adjust the microphone, and unnoticeably turned it off. She wouldn't need it. She nodded to the accompanist, who began to play the piano.

It was a haunting little music box melody that sent shivers up the spine.

Julia began to sing.

"Dancing bears, painted wings,

Things I almost remember…

And a song, someone sings,

Once upon a December…"

Kai felt the pit of his stomach go cold as only Julia and her mother could make it. He didn't know the song, hadn't heard it before, but the words seemed eerily significant to Julia's life before she had broken free of her cocoon. And it only got better…

"Someone holds me safe and warm,

Horses prance through a silver storm,

Figures dancing gracefully,

Across my memory…."

After a short vocalization that didn't need her full ability to sound enchanting and strange, she repeated the bridge and cut to the last verse.

"Far away, long ago,

Glowing dim as an ember,

Things my heart used to know,

Things it yearns to remember…

And a song someone sings……."

It seemed the whole audience held it's breath with her pause.

"Once upon a December…."

The song trailed off in that same haunting music-box melody, and for a long moment, everyone was silent. Then, everyone not in Julia's party burst into enthusiastic applause unlike they had heard through the whole recital. DJ joined in too, standing on his chair and initiating a standing ovation. Kai, David, and Doc slowly got to their feet, a little stunned, and looking very worried.

Julia bowed repeatedly, looking not in the least bit surprised but very pleased with herself.

"Well," David drawled through the applause, "she is her mother's daughter."

Doc frowned and elbowed him disapprovingly. Kai worried about David's statement. Of course she looked like Diva, and she had clearly inherited her namesake talent, but up to this point everyone had avoided that particular turn of phrase due to what it implicated.

Kai watched his young niece soak in the attention. She has a good heart, he told himself. Diva was a product of her upbringing, not inherently evil. Saya had said so herself. Kai had taken pains to show her love without spoiling her, but as all parents do, he wondered how well he was managing. No, he reasoned. Julia was destined for something much better than her mother.

After a few long minutes, the audience settled back into their seats, murmuring excitedly. The woman arranging the recital had to yell to get them to be quiet, not realizing that the microphone had been turned off. The problem was quickly solved, and the recital resumed normality. Kai felt sorry for the last two performers, who could reasonably hold their own, but were clearly nervous about being shown-up by a 9-year-old. At last the recital ended, and the audience began to break up.

Irene and Julia came running over from where the performers were sitting. Kai picked up Irene, and Julia hugged DJ fiercely, and he protested loudly. The three of them were much like siblings because they were so close in age, and Red Shield had wagered it was good for them to be close, both for the semblance of normalcy and DJ's eventual position as their protector.

Julia let him go quickly, already aware of her alarming strength. "Did you like my singing?" she asked ecstatically.

"Yeah, it was great!" DJ replied. "Made the whole boring thing worth it."

Julia grinned for a moment, and then glanced up at Irene. She tugged DJ's sleeve and jerked her head toward her sister.

"Oh yeah. Your piano playing was really pretty, Irene," he said, and it sounded genuine.

Irene smiled. "Thanks." She hopped down out of Kai's arms and started heading towards the crowd.

"Where are you going?" Kai called after her.

"Haji," she called over her shoulder in explanation.

Kai smiled. Now there was a relationship he understood. Julia was shielded from her abnormality by her age-appropriate self-centeredness, but Irene, being quiet and observant, saw what her sister didn't. She knew she was different, and if Kai had to guess, it probably scared her. In Haji she found what any Queen found in a devout chevalier: relation. She wasn't alone, Haji was like her and he'd managed so far, and he would protect her. With his life, if the situation called for it. Haji had extended his loyalties to Saya to the twins, and while she slept they were his entire concern.

Kai had to admit, Haji was a great help. Like all children, the girls sometimes misbehaved or defied him, Julia more often Irene, and if push came to shove they could accidentally kill him. Haji hadn't had to mete out punishment yet, as it stood he needed only to give them a stern look and they behaved. It looked almost as if there was some transfer of information, or merely they were sizing each other up, and the girls _knew_ it was useless. Even if they were queens, and it was two against one, they were still not strong enough to take on a full-grown, centuries-old chevalier. They would not know to use their blood—which experiments done by Red Shield showed would work—and Julia's voice, a potent weapon, was useless against him. The silent showdown was feral and frightening, but the girls rarely needed it.

He watched Haji effortlessly lift Irene into his arms, and she leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes half-closed. They waited for the crowd to clear out, and the woman who had arranged the recital approached Kai.

She introduced herself as one of the Suzuki teachers, Suzuki being a sort of method and collaboration all rolled into one. Individual teachers taught the method, and would come together for events like these. Usually Suzuki strictly stuck to classical music, but Julia was a very advanced student and since she had failed to find her mother's aria _anywhere _had lost her taste for classical music. She was also very difficult to argue with.

The teacher smiled politely as she made small talk, but by the big smile on her face he could tell she was dying to talk to him about something. At last she let it out.

"You know, your daughter Julia—"

"—niece—" he injected.

"Niece," she corrected, "has quite a talent."

He grinned, trying to act the part of the proud parent. "I know, she got it from her mother."

She frowned a little. "Is she…"

Kai became somber. "Yes, she passed when they were born."

The teacher put her hand to her heart. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I know that twins can be hard, my sister-in-law had a pair herself."

Kai nodded.

The teacher looked around a little. "And the father?" she asked cautiously.

His heart clenched a little. "He died before they were born."

She gasped a little. "Orphans… how sad."

He nodded again. "I was one myself, once."

Consolingly, the teacher put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I suppose you would be their legal guardian, then?"

"Yup." As long as Red Shield said so, but he doubted they'd make the same mistake they made with Saya. She had made it clear before she went to sleep that she wanted them in his custody.

"Well," she said coyly, her mood brightening. "If I were you I'd be looking into getting Miss Julia a record deal. I know several companies who might sponsor her. I could contact them if you would like…."

Kai glanced down at Julia. She looked totally disinterested in the conversation, and although she was looking over at where Irene and DJ were, he knew better than to assume she wasn't listening. She was very good at making you think otherwise.

"I don't think that might be the best idea right now. She should focus on her studies."

The teacher nodded, not looking convinced.

"I'll think about it, though."

She smiled and made her excuses to go help gather up the equipment.

As they walked out the door, David gave him one of those 'we're going to have a meeting about this' looks and Kai just sighed.

_A/N: _

_Told you I'm a lyric junkie. Expect more in the future. Lots more. _

_I know I've been alternating between the Otherside and the real world for a while now, but the truth is, the main bulk of the story is going to be about the twins. The Otherside was just the inspiration to start this story. Don't worry, there will be more Solomon x Saya goodness, but I really want to do this story in chronological order, and I want to give their relationship a few more years before anything interesting happens._

_The twins, on the other hand, have a lot ahead of them. trust me, I've got like the next 36 years of this story planned out._

_Speaking of which, I wrote a short story in one of my English classes which actually fits into this story. I changed things around a little bit to make it publishable, and without knowing it beforehand you would never know that it's Blood+ related. (My sister told me it "ruined it" for her to find out it was a fan-fic) Anyway, what I'm asking is, would you guys like me to post it now, or wait until that portion of the story comes up to post it? I'd be posting it in a separate file, since I intend to write in that section of the fanfic differently. It concerns Julia and one of her (future) chevaliers, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't give away any major plot points. Tell me what you think._


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